I’ll start this recipe off by saying my Spanish garlic tacos are nowhere near traditional. They came from a fun idea I had while we were visiting Spain. The pork skirt steak we ate there was so tender and freakin’ delicious that I couldn’t wait to try a homemade version of this cut with my favorite food: tacos (as you can tell from this my collection of epic taco recipes).
Once I had this idea from our travels in my head, I couldn’t shake it! So I added some more Spanish flavors to make this hodgepodge of a dish and there you have it: Spanish garlic tacos. I’m stoked for you to try them for your next taco night.
Why You’ll Love Spanish Garlic Tacos
The things I love most about delicious traditional foods in Spain are the balance of flavors, quality ingredients (like fresh produce), and uncomplicated cooking techniques to bring out the essence of the food.
That approach inspired these pork pinwheels, which you’ll have to try with the Campo Grande cut selection! For my own tacos, I did my best to emphasize those qualities listed above — Over the Fire Cooking style, of course.
I can’t wait for you to try this tender pork skirt steak, seasoned to perfection with my Cowboy Butter Rub. I also used Manchego cheese, crispy warm tortillas and a garlic sauce! My garlic sauce was flavored with herbs, sherry vinegar (which gives us the acid you’d get from lime juice in traditional tacos) and chili flakes. All these ingredients really dial up the delicious factor on Taco Tuesday.
Want more delicious pork recipes? Check out my Smoked Pork Burnt Ends, Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich and Pork Belly Cinnamon Rolls.
Spanish Garlic Tacos Ingredients
- Pork: We’ll keep things simple for the best part — our Ibérico pork skirt steak — seasoning with my Cowboy Butter Rub.
- Tacos: To fill out these tacos, we’ll use shredded Manchego cheese, flour tortillas or corn tortillas, and chopped parsley and diced white onion for garnish.
- Spanish Garlic Sauce: This sauce makes the tacos next level. We’ll mix together olive oil, minced garlic, chopped parsley, sherry wine vinegar, chili flakes and kosher salt for a freakin’ delicious concoction.
What’s Pork Skirt Steak?
Great question! I didn’t really know this cut even existed until I visited Spain. Which isn’t surprising, given the other name this cut is known for: the “secreto Ibérico.” Pork skirt steak, which has similar properties to beef skirt steak, comes from Spain’s prized Ibérico black pigs. Butchers cut it from a “secret” spot between the shoulder, ribs and fatback. Because it’s not a heavily used muscle, you get a well-marbled steak with loads of juicy flavor and tenderness.
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How to Make Spanish Garlic Tacos
Making the Spanish Garlic
First up, let’s make our garlic sauce. Grab a cast iron skillet, pour in 1.5 cups olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it’s hot enough, add in your 2.5 tablespoons minced garlic (from about six garlic cloves).
Cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes until it’s lightly toasted, then pull the skillet off the heat and let the hot oil cool to room temperature. Then, mix in 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon chili flakes and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Set the garlic oil to the side in a medium bowl.
Grilling the Pork Steak
Slather your 16 ounces of pork skirt steak with neutral vegetable oil and generously season with 2.5 tablespoons Cowboy Butter Rub or your favorite pork rub. Set in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
Once you’re ready to cook, preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 375 degrees Fahrenheit). Place the pork skirt steak on the grill to cook until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. When they reach temp, pull the pork off the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, use a sharp knife to slice the pork into bite-sized cubes.
Assembling the Spanish Garlic Tacos
To assemble our Spanish garlic tacos, start by placing a large skillet on the grill. Add a flour tortilla or corn tortilla to the dry skillet, cook one side, then flip and top with a handful of shredded Manchego cheese. You’ll need about 2 cups of shredded cheese to make all your tacos. Once you’ve added the cheese, add the cubed pork, parsley, onion and garlic sauce to the tortilla, then fold it over to crisp up.
Cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy. Remove the Spanish garlic taco shells from heat, serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Spanish Garlic Tacos
I know I didn’t go traditional with these Spanish garlic tacos, so don’t feel like you have to be traditional with your sides either. But I bet some Spanish rice, roasted or fried potatoes, grilled asparagus or peppers, or a simple green salad would be so freakin’ delicious for this meal.
For More Pork Tacos
Leftovers and Reheating
If you think you might have leftovers, the best way to save these Spanish garlic tacos for another day is to store the ingredients separately. Then, assemble the tacos when you’re ready to eat.
You can keep the pork skirt steak in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. The Spanish garlic oil will store nicely in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a week, or you could even freeze it for several months.
When you’re ready to eat, warm up the pork at medium heat on the grill or in the oven. Same for the garlic oil, in a skillet on the stove or the grill.
If you want to store and reheat already-assembled tacos, wrap them tightly in foil and store in the fridge for three days. Then, reheat them gently in the foil on the grill or in the oven. You could also use an air fryer for this method.
FAQs
If you can’t find pork skirt steak at your local grocery store or butcher, I’ve had great luck with Campo Grande for out-of-the-way ingredients. You can shop curated boxes of Ibérico pork, build your own box with different product types and earn rewards.
You can use pork belly in these Spanish garlic tacos if you want to keep similar flavors. If you’re feeling like more traditional tacos (carne asada style), you could use beef skirt steak or flank steak. You’d get different results but I bet it’d still be freakin’ delicious.
These Spanish garlic tacos use a smaller number of ingredients than you’d see in traditional Mexican tacos, which might have ground beef seasoned with chili powder and toppings like salsa verde, Cotija cheese or queso fresco, pico de gallo, sour cream, red onion, avocado slices, red onion and lime wedges. That’s because I really wanted to emphasize the flavor and tenderness of the pork skirt steak. If you’re looking for a different cheese, you could use asiago cheese or cheddar cheese. And like most tacos, I bet your favorite hot sauce would be great with the Spanish garlic tacos.
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Spanish Garlic Tacos
Ingredients
Pork:
- 16 oz Campo Grande Iberico Pork Skirt Steak
- 2.5 tbsp Cowboy Butter Rub or until lightly covered
- Neutral Oil as needed
Tacos:
- 2 cups Shredded Manchego Cheese
- Chopped Parsley garnish
- Diced White Onions garnish
- Flour or Corn Tortillas
Spanish Garlic Sauce:
- 1.5 cups Olive Oil
- 2.5 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 tbsp Chopped Parsley
- 1 tbsp Sherry Wine Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Chili Flakes
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
Instructions
Spanish Garlic:
- Heat up a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat and bring to 225-250F.
- Add in the minced garlic to cook for 1-2 minutes till lightly toasted then pull off heat and let cool.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, mix together and set to the side.
Pork and Tacos:
- Slather your pork skirt with oil and season with my cowboy butter rub or your favorite pork rub. Set in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 375F).
- Add your pork to the grill to cook until 145F internal. Pull off once done and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing up into bite sized cubes.
- Add a cast iron skillet to the grill. Add a tortilla to the skillet and cook one side then flip and top with a handful of shredded manchego cheese. Add the cubed pork, parsley, onion and garlic sauce to the tortilla, then fold it over to crisp up. Cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy.
- Pull off, serve and enjoy!
